Portable phone

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a mobile phone, and more particularly to a technique effective by being applied to a simplified and high-performance mobile phone having only a minimum necessary memory function in addition to a normal communication function.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

As the technology examined by the present inventor, the following technology can be considered for the mobile phone. For example, mobile phones are roughly divided into analog FDMA systems, digital TDMA systems, and digital CDMA systems, of which the analog system has been abolished in Japan. In Japan, dual-mode mobile phones that can be used for both PDC mobile phones and PHS are also used.

【0003】

These mobile phones range from standard mobile phones consisting of high-frequency unit, low-frequency unit, liquid crystal display, MPU, flash memory, SRAM, etc. to high-performance mobile phones equipped with PDA functions, digital camera functions, etc. The development of mobile phones, etc. has been rapidly progressing in recent years.

【0004】

Examples of such technologies related to mobile phones include the technologies described in "Information and Communication New Word Dictionary 2000 Edition" P59 to P61 published by Nikkei BP on September 27, 1999.

【0005】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

By the way, as a result of the present inventor's examination of the above-mentioned mobile phone technology, the following has been clarified. Hereinafter, with respect to the standard mobile phone and the high-performance mobile phone examined by the present inventor, FIG. 6 showing the block configuration of the standard mobile phone, and FIG. 7 showing the block configuration of the high-performance mobile phone. This will be described with reference to FIG. 8, which shows the flow of the operation procedure.

【0006】

As shown in Fig. 6, the standard mobile phone stores a high-frequency unit unit 1, a low-frequency unit unit 2, a liquid crystal display unit 3, an MPU4 for system control, a system control program, a telephone number book, and the like. It consists of flash memory (NOR type flash ROM, which usually requires random access performance) 31, and SRAM 32, which is used as a buffer for program execution and data.

【0007】

As shown in FIG. 7, the high-performance mobile phone has an advanced data processing function in order to give the mobile phone a PDA function, a digital camera function, etc. in addition to the functions of the standard mobile phone shown in FIG. It is equipped with ASIC6 to strengthen the external interface of MMC (Multi Media Card) 5, and is equipped with DRAM7 to handle larger data. In addition, a CCD camera 33 is also provided.

【0008】

The operation flow of these standard mobile phones and high-performance mobile phones is shown in Fig. 8. First, after the power is started (step S301), the MPU4 reads the address of the flash memory 31 and the boot loader program is started (step S302). This program is software for initializing the system and starting the program.

【0009】

Subsequently, the boot loader reads the necessary program from the flash memory 31 and expands it on SRAM 32 (step S303). A menu is displayed by this program (step S304), and when the user selects the menu, the required program can be executed and the desired operation can be realized (step S305).

【0010】

After a certain period of time has passed in this state (step S306), the inside becomes a standby state, the mode shifts to the low power consumption mode (step S307), and the backlight of the liquid crystal display unit 3 is turned off (step S308). When the key is operated here (step S309), the mode shifts to the normal mode (step S310), and the backlight of the liquid crystal display unit 3 turns on and lights up (step S311).

【0011】

Therefore, the following problems can be considered in the standard type mobile phone and the high-performance type mobile phone as described above.

【0012】

(1) Since all the basic programs are stored in the non-volatile memory such as the flash memory built in the mobile phone, it is almost impossible to change the basic software.

【0013】

(2) The program in (1) above is transferred from the flash memory to SRAM and executed, and SRAM operates as a buffer. In recent years, DRAM is installed in addition to SRAM, and when a digital camera or the like is installed in a mobile phone, this DRAM may be used as a buffer when handling a large amount of data. Various types of memory are required, which leads to system complexity and cost increase.

【0014】

(3) In the above mobile phone, it is difficult to change the schedule in real time because the schedule, address book, etc. are all stored in the flash memory or the personal computer and the necessary parts are transferred to the mobile phone body.

【0015】

(4) The above-mentioned mobile phone scheduler only inputs and confirms information, and does not provide information using the scheduler information.

【0016】

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple and highly functional mobile phone capable of reducing the cost of a system by incorporating only the minimum necessary memory function in addition to the normal communication function. is there.

【0017】

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description and accompanying drawings herein.

【0018】

[Means for solving problems]

A brief description of typical inventions disclosed in the present application is as follows.

【0019】

That is, the mobile phone according to the present invention is a simple and high-performance mobile phone that incorporates only the minimum necessary memory function in addition to the normal communication function for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and is non-volatile that stores only the boot program. It has a memory, a program loaded from the outside after the boot program is started, and a volatile memory for storing data.

【0020】

In detail, the mobile phone according to the present invention has the following features and effects.

【0021】

(1) The built-in program is only a boot program, and programs and data that are expected to be installed in many mobile phones in the future are stored in a compressed format or as is in a small memory card (for example, MMC) of an external storage device. Change to. When the system is powered on or in standby mode, any key operation is performed and at the same time, the small memory card is expanded to high-speed main memory such as DRAM. Furthermore, if the communication speed becomes faster in the future, all the information other than the account information can be downloaded from the remote server at the start of communication by placing it on the remote server. In this case, it is possible to completely eliminate the external storage device.

【0022】

This makes it easy to update the basic software of the mobile phone, or it can be updated automatically, and at the same time, SRAM and flash memory are not required, and the system cost can be reduced. In addition, depending on the program to be loaded, one mobile phone can be used as a device with different functions.

【0023】

(2) It is possible to eliminate the need for SRAM by transferring data such as flash memory to DRAM, which was conventionally used only for buffers such as images, without going through SRAM and using it as main memory.

【0024】

(3) Record programs, mail data, account information, sender phone numbers, operating frequency information, etc. on a small memory card of an external storage device. By carrying the above-mentioned small memory card, all environments can be carried only by the small memory card. For example, if you need a phone for a car phone, car navigation, etc. in addition to a mobile phone, you can easily move the environment by replacing the small memory card, and it will be a key and environment file for a kind of information service. be able to.

【0025】

(4) By placing personal information such as the scheduler and address book on the remote server, it is possible to prevent leakage to others and data loss due to misplacement or loss of the mobile phone, and at the same time, data at the time of replacement of the mobile phone. The problem of re-entry is also eliminated. Furthermore, since the scheduler can be changed in real time, efficient scheduling for sales positions and the like can be realized.

【0026】

(5) Provide a service that automatically provides traffic information, restaurant information, company information, personal information, etc. according to the contents of the scheduler. This information can be provided by a document such as a liquid crystal display or a voice such as automatic reading.

【0027】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing an operation procedure when using a program by a mobile phone according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing an operation procedure when using a remote server by a mobile phone. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are flow diagrams showing the operation procedure of the above, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams showing an application form by a mobile phone.

【0028】

First, the configuration of an example of the mobile phone of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The mobile phone of the present embodiment is, for example, a simple and high-performance mobile phone having only the minimum necessary memory function in addition to the normal communication function for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and is described as a high frequency unit (RF) 1. , Low frequency unit (base band) 2, liquid crystal display 3, MPU4 for system control, ASIC6 that controls the interface with MMC5 of the external storage device, and volatile used as a buffer for programs and data of MMC5. It is composed of DRAM7 of memory, etc. In particular, MPU4 contains ROM8 of non-volatile memory that stores only boot programs.

【0029】

In the mobile phone of this embodiment, only the boot loader by the boot program needs to be built in, so that the flash memory is unnecessary, the boot program is built in the MPU4 as ROM8, and the processing capacity of the MPU4 is also improved. , Only the interface between MMC5 and DRAM7 is supported, and it is possible to reduce the cost.

【0030】

Next, regarding the operation of the present embodiment, an example of the basic operation of the mobile phone will be described first.

【0031】

At the time of reception, in the high frequency unit unit 1, the radio wave received by the antenna passes through a filter and an amplifier, and is converted into an intermediate frequency by a mixer. Then, in the low frequency unit unit 2, the signal wave amplified at the intermediate frequency is demodulated to become a baseband signal. After that, it is decomposed by the channel codec, and the audio signal of the required channel becomes an analog audio signal by the audio codec and is uttered from the speaker.

【0032】

At the time of transmission, the signal input from the microphone and digitized by the voice codec is converted by the channel codec. Then, in the low frequency unit unit 2, the waveform is shaped into a waveform suitable for transmission by the waveform generation circuit. After that, in the high frequency unit unit 1, it is modulated at an intermediate frequency, converted into a radio frequency by a mixer, amplified by an amplifier, and then transmitted from an antenna through a filter.

【0033】

Next, an example of the operation procedure when the program is used by the mobile phone will be described with reference to FIG.

【0034】

First, after the power is started (step S101), the boot loader program on ROM 8 of MPU4 is started (step S102). This program is software for initializing the system and starting the program.

【0035】

The bootloader then loads the required program from MMC5, reads it, and deploys it on DRAM7 (step S103). A menu is displayed by this program (step S104), and when the user selects the menu, the required program can be executed and the desired operation can be realized (step S105).

【0036】

After a certain period of time has passed in this state (step S106), the inside becomes a standby state, the mode shifts to the low power consumption mode (step S107), and the backlight of the liquid crystal display unit 3 is turned off (step S108). At the same time, since the operating power of DRAM7 is large during standby, all the data in DRAM7 is moved to MMC5, saved and stored (step S109), and then the power of DRAM7 is turned off (step S110).

【0037】

When the key is operated here (step S111), the mode shifts to the normal mode (step S112), and the backlight of the liquid crystal display unit 3 is turned on and turned on (step S113). At the same time, when returning to the normal mode, the power of DRAM7 is turned on (step S114), and the data from MMC5 is expanded to DRAM7 (step S115). The time required for storage and expansion between MMC5 and DRAM7 is less than 1 second even for 4MB (32Mb) data, and there is no particular problem.

【0038】

Next, an example of the operation procedure when using the remote server by the mobile phone will be described with reference to FIG.

【0039】

When using the remote server, first, as in FIG. 2, the power supply is started (step S201), the boot loader is started (step S202), the program is loaded by this boot loader (step S203), and the menu is displayed by this program (step S204). , The program execution (step S205) by selecting this menu is performed in order.

【0040】

Then, when using a remote server that connects via communication, the bootloader automatically opens the communication line (step S206), loads the program first from the server, then loads the data, and deploys it to DRAM7 (step S207). Currently, even with 1MT2000 of 2Mb / s, it takes 8 seconds to transfer 32Mb data, which is not realistic, but it can be fully put into practical use in the future as the communication speed improves. Then, the boot loader closes the communication line (step S208).

【0041】

After that, as in FIG. 2, after a certain period of time has elapsed (step S209), the transition to the low power consumption mode (step S210), the backlight of the liquid crystal display 3 is turned off (step S211), and the data in the DRAM 7 The movement to MMC5 (step S212) and the power off of DRAM7 (step S13) are performed in order.

【0042】

Furthermore, after key operation (step S214), transition to normal mode (step S215), turning on the backlight of the liquid crystal display 3 (step S216), turning on the power of DRAM7 (step S217), and data in MMC5. Deployment to DRAM 7 (step S218) is performed in order.

【0043】

In the mobile phone of the present embodiment configured as described above, data processing is entrusted to MPU4 to have versatility, and all programs are introduced from MMC5 every time, so that the functions differ depending on the program to be introduced. It can also be used as a portable device. Of course, by having a sufficiently large memory and a high-performance OS, it is possible to switch functions on the OS like a personal computer.

【0044】

For example, a program by selecting a menu on a mobile phone may be a program that can be used as a different device such as a music player, an electronic book reader, an RF remote controller, a transceiver, a radio, or a mail reader, and these programs are required. It is possible to load according to the above and realize the operation as multiple devices.

【0045】

Next, an example of an application of the present embodiment by a mobile phone will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

【0046】

As shown in FIG. 4, in a system in which the mobile phone 11 and the wireless base station 13 to which the remote server 12 is connected are combined, the schedule database 14, the address book database 15, and the like are stored in the database of the remote server 12 by storing the schedule database 14, the address book database 15, and the like in the database of the remote server 12. Multiple people can access the remote server 12 through the mobile phone 11. For example, the superior will be able to manage the schedule in real time, and the secretary will be able to change the schedule. The data in databases 14 and 15 of this remote server 12 are periodically synchronized with the scheduler to keep them up to date with each other.

【0047】

As shown in Fig. 5, the information provision service is realized by the business support center 22 linked to the database of the scheduler 21, and based on the schedule database on the remote server, the traffic information database 23, the restaurant information database 24, and the company information. It searches database 25, personal information database 26, etc., investigates transit information, lunch information, company information of the meeting partner, information of the meeting partner, etc., and regularly distributes this information to the mobile phone 11. With mobile phone 11, you will be charged for the number of cases or monthly depending on which service you select.

【0048】

For example, real-time train transfer information is automatically extracted from the destination information of the scheduler 21 and provided to the mobile phone 11. At this time, if there is a delay due to an accident or the like, rerouting is also possible. Alternatively, before the meeting, the information about the meeting partner (individual or company) of the scheduler 21 is searched on the Internet and provided to the mobile phone 11. Alternatively, depending on where you are going, you can provide information such as warning you to bring an umbrella in the morning from the weather forecast information and guiding you to a nearby dining room from the time and current position.

【0049】

Therefore, according to the mobile phone 11 of the present embodiment, since it is only necessary to incorporate the boot loader by the boot program, the basic software of the mobile phone 11 can be updated easily or automatically at the same time. SRAM and flash memory are no longer required, and system costs can be reduced. Further, depending on the program to be loaded, one mobile phone 11 can be used as a device having different functions.

【0050】

Furthermore, by using DRAM7 as the main memory, SRAM can be eliminated. In addition, by carrying around the MMC5 that records programs, mail data, account information, caller phone numbers, operating frequency information, etc., all environments can be carried only with the MMC5.

【0051】

In addition, by placing personal information such as the scheduler and address book on the remote server 12, it is possible to prevent leakage to others and data loss due to misplacement or loss of the mobile phone 11, and at the same time, when replacing the mobile phone 11. The problem of data re-entry is also eliminated. Furthermore, since the schedule can be changed in real time, efficient scheduling for sales positions and the like can be realized.

【0052】

In addition, by implementing a service that automatically provides traffic information, restaurant information, company information, personal information, etc. according to the contents of the scheduler 21, such information can be read out to documents such as the liquid crystal display unit 3 or automatically. It can be provided by voice.

【0053】

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiment thereof, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof. Needless to say.

【0054】

For example, in the above-described embodiment, DRAM is used as the volatile memory and ROM is used as the non-volatile memory, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the volatile memory includes other memories such as RAM and SRAM. Other memories such as PROM can be used as the non-volatile memory.

【0055】

Further, the present invention is not limited to mobile phones, and can be applied to portable electronic devices such as schedulers, and the same effect can be obtained in this case as well.

【0056】

[Effect of the invention]

The effects obtained by representative of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

【0057】

(1) Only the boot program is built in the non-volatile memory, and the necessary programs and data are loaded from the outside and expanded to the volatile memory of the DRAM, so that the basic software of the mobile phone can be updated easily or automatically. At the same time, it becomes possible to reduce the system cost because SRAM and flash memory are not required. In addition, the loaded program allows one mobile phone to be used as a device with different functions.

【0058】

(2) By transferring the data from the small memory card of the external storage device to the volatile memory of the DRAM without going through the SRAM and using this DRAM as the main memory, it is possible to eliminate the need for the SRAM.

【0059】

(3) By recording programs, mail data, account information, sender phone numbers, operating frequency information, etc. on a small memory card of an external storage device, and carrying this small memory card with you, all environments can be made only with a small memory card. It will be possible to carry it with.

【0060】

(4) By placing personal information such as the scheduler and address book on the remote server, it is possible to prevent leakage to others and data loss due to misplacement or loss of the mobile phone, and at the same time, data at the time of replacement of the mobile phone. The problem of re-entry can also be eliminated. Furthermore, since the scheduler can be changed in real time, it is possible to realize efficient scheduling for sales staff and the like.

【0061】

(5) By implementing a service that automatically provides traffic information, restaurant information, company information, personal information, etc. according to the contents of the scheduler, this information is provided by documents such as LCD or voice such as automatic reading. It becomes possible to do.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a block diagram which shows the mobile phone of one Embodiment of this invention.

[Figure 2]

It is a flow figure which shows the operation procedure at the time of using the program by the mobile phone of one Embodiment of this invention.

[Fig. 3]

It is a flow chart which shows the operation procedure at the time of using the remote server by the mobile phone of one Embodiment of this invention.

[Fig. 4]

It is explanatory drawing which shows the application form (data storage in a remote server) by the mobile phone of one Embodiment of this invention.

[Fig. 5]

It is explanatory drawing which shows the application form (information providing service by the link of a scheduler) by the mobile phone of one Embodiment of this invention.

[Fig. 6]

It is a block diagram which shows the mobile phone (standard type) which is the premise of this invention.

[Fig. 7]

It is a block diagram which shows the mobile phone (high-performance type) which is the premise of this invention.

[Fig. 8]

It is a flow figure which shows the operation procedure by the mobile phone which is the premise of this invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 High frequency unit 2 Low frequency unit 3 Liquid crystal display 4 MPU 5 MMC 6 ASIC 7 DRAM 8 ROM 11 mobile phone 12 remote server 13 Radio base station 14 Schedule database 15 Address book database 21 Scheduler 22 Business Support Center 23 Traffic information database 24 Restaurant information database 25 Company Information Database 26 Personal information database 31 Flash memory 32 SRAM 33 CCD camera